Dietrich Bonhoeffer wins 2016 Golden Halo!

Congratulations to 2016 Golden Halo Winner Dietrich Bonhoeffer!

The Supreme Executive Committee of Lent Madness has unearthed a heretofore undiscovered Bonhoeffer text on the viscitudes of cheap and costly grace in the context of Lent Madness. We share it with you, without comment, as we believe the text speaks for itself.

Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of Lent Madness. Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like wares from the Lentorium. The Saintly Scorecard, the bracket posters, the write-ups of fabulous Celebrity Bloggers are thrown away at cut prices — like Frances Perkins mugs at 50% off. Oh wait…

Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching on topics other than saints, writing our own name in the bracket, voting without reading the comments, not seeing the humor in Lent Madness…Cheap grace is grace without Wi-Fi, grace without the Golden Halo, grace without an updated bracket.

Costly grace is the saintly kitsch hidden in the field; for the sake of it, a person will gladly go and sell all that he or she has. It is the Lent Madness bracket of great price for which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of the Supreme Executive Committee, for whose sake a voter will pluck out the internet connection which causes the participant to stumble.

Costly grace is represented as Lent Madness’ inexhaustible treasury, from which the Supreme Executive Committee showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits (except on votes).

PS. Stay tuned for information released later today about Lent Madness 2016 swag. Mugs? Pint glasses? A Silver Halo for Julian of Norwich? All will soon be revealed.

126 Comments to "Dietrich Bonhoeffer wins 2016 Golden Halo!"

GREAT graphic! Will be inviting dear Dietrich over for coffee very soon, and meanwhile am savoring one of the best Lent Madness experiences yet. All shall be thanked, and all shall be thanked, and all manner saints shall be thanked.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I finally picked a winner! Thank you SEC Padres and Bloggers and and FORWARD MOVEMENT and Ms. Jane P. whom I have not forgotten ! LENT MADNESS FOREVER
and Dietrich Bonhoeffer whose spirit hovers over us all….Evil did not prevail and never will as long as there is the Resurrection!

Wow, thank you for the mention! This is the first lent that I discovered this site and I LOVE IT! Wish it went on all year, which I guess would then mean a whole year of penance, but if there were Lent Madness, I think it would be worth it!

This has been a year of tough choices, but Bonhoeffer with the Golden Halo is validation that peace and justice comes with a price – and also and most importantly with great love and sacrifice. May we all embody Christ in the world with Bonhoeffer’s example.
Thank you to the SEC for a wonderful Lent Madness Season.

The journey has been most enlightening and delightful, but I’m disappointed in the end–not in the choice of Bonhoeffer whom I deeply respect though Julian helped save my life, but in the rather cheap way you’ve played with his concepts of grace. Nevertheless, I look forward to next year and wish you a blessed Easter.

Thank you for all the work and research that went into sponsoring Lent Madness. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about all of the Saints; their lives and their contributions. I think the process has worked, and Saint Bonhoeffer is deserving of the Golden Halo!

I believe Julian should remain eligible for a future Golden Halo. I ask the SEC not to bestow a silver halo,although I do treasure my St Brigid pint glass! All I know is that I would not have wanted to remove Dietrich Bonhoeffer from the running in the future so that his story could be retold. Ditto for Julian.

Why not something like, if you win the GH you’re inellegable to run for 20 years, and 10 if you get the silver? Not thinking that far ahead? – well you’re already training up the next generation of potential leaders with kids like Oliver to help you out,and these guys are all immortal so there’s no possibility of not having the stamina for future play. And for if they have success in ‘long in the future brackets,’ there’s already some fine kitsch awaiting. Mind you, there’s also the possibility of a ‘champions’ round in a few decades… or less if the silvers as well as the golds continue and are allowed to play together.
Thanks SEC yet again for a thoughtful, prayerful and deeply humourous Lent Madness. Joyful Easter.

All GH winners are permanently retired from competing – and the winners of the various rounds have to wait various amounts of time before they are eligible to compete again. Here’s a sample of the rules from this year’s nominations post: http://www.lentmadness.org/2015/05/accepting-nominations/

The Lent Madness team outdid themselves this year! I will look forward to lent next year. Such a blessing to be able to learn about the saints in a fun way.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer is most assuredly a Saint for the times we are in right now.

Were that our secular campaigns, debates and, ultimately, elections be as civilized and respectful as Lent Madness. Thank you, Tim and Scott – and your many wonderful collaborators – for reminding us of the inherent decency of the vast majority of our species. Thank you, Lent Madness community around the world, for another inspiring season as we await Christ’s Resurrection.

And we made it through a whole Lent without anyone asking why a certain Presbyterian-minister-turned-children’s-television-show-host isn’t on the bracket!

I can’t get our wonderful LM theme music out of my head. So here’s a big “thank you” to Maestro Shiloh Ruby for the fantastic organ offering at the beginning and end of every Monday Madness video, and the splendid graphic designed by …? Always makes me giggle!

We held an Advent Madness at our church. Our celebrity commentator Oliver chose four Old Testament Heroes for us. We had write ups for all four and the congregation voted on them each week of Advent. The winner Ruth was awarded the Golden Star. It was a lot of fun!

Bonhoeffer’s life and message speak to our troubled times, and I’m thankful that he won the Golden Halo. Looking forward to 2017 LM, and thanks, SEC, for your hard work. Saintly Kitsch not needed for me, but if it’s good for others to expand the fun and appeal to others, that’s fine with me. Oliver was a worthy winner of the St. Francis, and hope he participates next year. Perhaps an SEC member in the making!

Thank you to all that made this great Lent Madness possible. Some match ups were very hard to chose. Glad DB won as I believe his ‘life’ is very pertinent to what is going on in the world today. Maybe in another 5 years or so you could have an Saintly All Star Game of the winners and runners up. Thank you again and Happy Lent!

This was first year, but thanks for a delightful experience. I wish there was some way for spouses with the same computer and address could vote twice. We did have a couple of disagreements. Thanks again to all who made it possible.

I may be mistaken but when my husband and i used the same computer he voted through his own email and I voted through mine. I dont think its the computer but the email address. This year we used our phones instead.

I’m disappointed that Joseph didn’t win the Golden Halo, but as the SEC and various commentators have pointed out, all the saints have won their halos: Joseph and Constance and Dietrich and Julian and all of them. As always, Lent Madness has been a delight. Thank you Tim and Scott, and everyone who commented and everyone who voted. May you have a blessed Holy Week and a joyous Easter.

Wow, Bonhoeffer won 60% to 40%, a personal favorite…..and over 8,000 votes cast in total. Such an enjoyable game this year and a hero of our times to boot. I have read Bonhoeffer with difficulty and rented all the movies about him that I found. Congrats to all who contributed to our enjoyment of our Lenten season and just like our Michael has said, “It is not a fairy tale”.

I have enjoyed LM for the 4 years, and this was no different. As the American mother of two dual-citizen German-American sons, I am delighted with Dietrich Bonhoffer receiving the Golden Halo–“Echt toll!”–and I give my deepest thanks to the SEC and the Celebrity Bloggers for teaching us all about these incredible people of faith.

I love the graphic of Meister Bonhoeffer already basking in the glow of his newfound Golden Halo! Well done SEC, celebrity bloggers, and the voting public at large. Would that our political choices were half as worthy as all out saints!

Thank you SEC and CB’s for another wonderful Lent Madness. So many inspiring saints!! I’m particularly grateful to have learned about Vida Dutton Scudder – imagine having lived all these decades and never having known of her and her remarkable life. I’m glad I know now.

I have to say, I miss the “Archbishops Updates” from the Maple Anglican that have been part of Lent Madness in the past. Is the clarivoyant machine (sorry I forgot the name of it) on the fritz? Will the Archbishops be back? Thanks to the Maple Anglican for the work he did bringing us the Archbishops in the first place! A big thank you to the SEC for Lent Madness also!!!!

I love Lent Madness for your pedagogic methodology. Humor helps keep me focused and I learned many new and wondrous things about these saints of God. My one constant this year was Dietrich, now of the Golden Halo. I daresay that for me the final choice was the toughest. Thanks to your ministry, I am edified!

Thank you to the SEC and all of the CB’s for a wonderful LM devotional experience. Really enjoyed young Oliver, a worthy winner of St. Francis. Some very tough choices and some profound thoughts resulting. Already ready feeling LMW!

I am a Democrat, Liberal, Episcopalian living in Mobile, AL. I write that by way of explaining why I am used to losing! I love my dear Julian and will carry her inspiration in my heart always – Halo or no. I greatly admire DB, his courage, intellect and inspiration. If anyone had to win over Julian it was DB.
Lent flew by ….. Thank you SEC. In the spirit of lent I am trying not to be a sore looser!
See you next year.

Hooray for Dietrich!! I picked a winner this year. How about St. Genesius, Patron Saint of Actors for next year’s LM? How about ‘Constance Would Go” bumper stickers, silver-plated hazelnut necklaces/bracelets, yellow fever champagne (!)glasses, etc. Love Lent Madness and the joy it brings me and so many others. And thanks Carol and SusanLee: didn’t know there were anymore D.L.E.’s in the south but me and my family. Happy Easter to all.

What an interesting group of saints to challenge us this Lent. Thank you to the SEC and all the bloggers for another trip through Lent. Am very pleased that DM now has the Golden Halo. His message speaks to a troubled world.
A Blessed Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, and a most Joyful Easter.

Hearty congratulations to Saint Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a most deserving Golden Halo winner. Love the graphic! Farewell to Lent Madness 2016, and I will miss all of you, dear friends.
Wishing everyone a glorious Easter. See y’all next year.

Wait a minute, did I miss something in the Cheap Grace posting that was attributed to our winner ? or did the humor evade my limited mind ?
Any way I am happy Dietrich won. He deserves it
God’s Blessings to all.

As much as I supported Julian, I don’t think she should get a Silver Halo. Last year the vote between Francis and Brigid were so close that I thought it was nice that she was given an award. But Dietrich Bonhoffer soundly beat Julian of Norwich this year. However it is not my will but that of the SEC that shall be done.

As a major Brigid supporter I agree that the race last year was so close she deserved the silver halo. Unless we are going to backtrack and give all seconds silver, oh yeah and thirds bronze and, and, and…

This has been the most wonderful Lent Madness. All the writing by celebs gets better every year.
I’m thrilled that Dietrich Bonhoffer held on the the end. Holding on was so much a part of his character. Thanks Tim and Scott for another great Lent!!

Thank you again for a wonderful journey through this Lenten season. I have learned so much,not only from the celebrity bloggers but from the many thoughtful posts of the participants. I always read the comments before making my final choice, and sometimes was persuaded by their arguments to change my original choice.

I’M SO HAPPY DIETRICH WON! (Although all were great!) And I am so happy…and so grateful, that I found Lent Madness; because of it, I learned about many people (saints) that I would not have known about otherwise. I also enjoyed the humor. Your good natured site with its brilliantly lighthearted writing brightened my days. I’m only sad that lent madness is over. I love you guys! Congrats, Dietrich! Jane

I was just looking at the web site link for the rules in selecting saints for the bracket – posted in advance of the 2016 contest – and at the bottom of the list of saints ineligible due to their placement in 2012-2014 is the 2016 GH winner Dietrich Bonhoeffer!! See the list copied below. What gives? Is this a web glitch or was he truly ineligible? Will this require the involvement of SCOTUS to rule on the rightful GH winner for 2016?!?!?

I am fine with the results. However, after reviewing the final votes throughout the Lent Madness, it seems a bit strange that the final vote would be an even 60-40%. Does the Supreme Executive Committee have a vote of some kind that would “even things out”??

Thank you to the SEC, all the CBs, the Bracket Czar, Forward Movement Staff, all those who wrote comments, the voters, the Lent Madness global community, and all the saints for another wonderful Lenten journey! It was fun and educational. 🙂 Have a Blessed Holy Week and a Joyous Easter! Happy Lent!

thank you to all who make lent madness happen. and an especial thanks to Beth Lewis for telling the stories of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. sitting in Maundy services tonight and thinking about the meaning of love in the context of the commandment, i was glad to have the life of Bonhoeffer to reflect on.

At long last, I *finally* voted for the winner! His life and witness is sadly all too-relevant to our times. Much congratulations and appreciation to all who make this game fun and available during Lent. We’ll see you in 2017.

Super-Duper!
Being a former Church Musician of German Descent (and having been raised in the Roman Catholic, Presbyterian and Lutheran confessions as an added bonus) my two candidates were Dr Albert Schweitzer and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Glad to know that one of them made it!!
Seriously, we should meditate the life, work and martyrdom of D. Bonhoeffer during these Paschal Triduum days, keeping in mind how history is going recently. Even having a fraction of the courage that this man had would make a difference.
And next year, I would like to see Dr. Martin Luther himself in the Lent Madness!
Until then, Andres Gunther, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.

Hi Kathy!
Great to hear from you. My wife and I just got back from the church (Easter Vigil rehearsal, then Altar Guild prep). We have exactly two hours before we head back.
Whew! As a priest once told me, “Every year during Holy Week I wish I was a Quaker.”

Support this Work!
If you enjoy Lent Madness and the work of Forward Movement, please make a financial gift. Your tax-deductible gift will help Forward Movement continue its work of encouraging people to follow Jesus and to share the Good News. Your donations allow us to provide free resources like Lent Madness.

Get Lent Madness by email!

Enter your email address to subscribe to Lent Madness and receive notifications of new posts by email.